- Considerations (52)
- Formalizations (36)
- Frank-Turek (17)
- Insights (123)
- NT-Wright (109)
- Stand-to-Reason (154)
Formalizations of the Considerations Posts:
✶ Symbolic logic reflections of the arguments for those philosophically inclined.
Recent posts
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Does cosmic fine-tuning support theism? A critical review of probability assumptions, observer selection, multiverse alternatives, and design claims.
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Would a truth-valuing God want belief stronger than the evidence allows? A simple test for whether religious faith can be rationally justified.
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The Biggest Logical Blunders in a Contemporary Christian Apologetics Corpus I recently surveyed a local transcript corpus from Frank Turek’s I Don’t Have Enough FAITH to Be an ATHEIST podcast. The point was not to catch one awkward sentence or score cheap rhetorical points. The point was to identify the…
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Alvin Plantinga’s “Warrant” isn’t an epistemic upgrade; it’s a design for inaccuracy. My formal proof demonstrates that maximizing the binary status of “knowledge” forces a cognitive system to be less accurate than one simply tracking evidence. We must eliminate “knowledge” as a rigorous concept, replacing it with credencing—the honest pursuit…
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This article critiques the stark gap between the New Testament’s unequivocal promises of answered prayer and their empirical failure. It examines the theological “bait-and-switch” where bold pulpit guarantees of supernatural intervention are neutralized by “creative hermeneutics” in small groups, transforming literal promises into unfalsifiable, psychological coping mechanisms through evasive logic…
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This article characterizes theology as a “floating fortress”—internally coherent but isolated from empirical reality. It details how specific theological claims regarding prayer, miracles, and scientific facts fail verification tests. The argument posits that theology survives only through evasion tactics like redefinition and metaphor, functioning as a self-contained simulation rather than…
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Modern apologists argue that religious belief is a rational map of evidence, likening it to scientific frameworks. However, a deeper analysis reveals a stark contrast. While science adapts to reality through empirical testing and falsifiability, theology insulates belief from contradictory evidence. The theological system absorbs anomalies instead of yielding to…
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This post critiques the concept of “childlike faith” in religion, arguing that it promotes an uncritical acceptance of beliefs without evidence. It highlights that while children naturally trust authority figures, this lack of skepticism can lead to false beliefs. The author emphasizes the importance of cognitive maturity and predictive power…
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This analysis examines the agonizing moral conflict presented by the explicit biblical command to slaughter Amalekite infants in 1 Samuel 15:3. Written from a skeptical, moral non-realist perspective, it rigorously deconstructs the various apologetic strategies employed to defend this divine directive as “good.” The post critiques common evasions, such as…
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In the realm of Christian apologetics, few topics generate as much palpable discomfort as the Old Testament narratives depicting divinely ordered genocide. While many believers prefer to gloss over these passages, serious apologists feel compelled to defend them. They must reconcile a God described as “perfect love” with a deity…
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This post examines various conditions Christians often attach to prayer promises, transforming them into unfalsifiable claims. It highlights how these ‘failsafe’ mechanisms protect the belief system from scrutiny, allowing believers to reinterpret prayer outcomes either as successes or failures based on internal states or hidden conditions. This results in a…
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In public discourse, labels such as “atheist,” “agnostic,” and “Christian” often oversimplify complex beliefs, leading to misunderstandings. These tags are low-resolution summaries that hinder rational discussions. Genuine inquiry requires moving beyond labels to assess individual credences and evidence. Understanding belief as a gradient reflects the nuances of thought, promoting clarity…
Hi Phil: I was wondering: After coming across an online discussion posted on a biblical studies website regarding whether the…
Just read this; enjoyed the summary of critiques of fine-tuning arguments. Building off what you said in one section above,…
While the process probably varies from person to person, I tend to find myself assigning more confidence to beliefs if…
Concerning doxastic voluntarism, I remember nudging myself toward a higher credence simply because I needed something to be true. And…
Hi Phil: Thanks for the new piece. This is actually oddly relevant to some stuff I’ve been thinking about lately.…
And thanks for your comment, Brett!
Great in-depth brutal honesty for real soul searching, including a very logical conclusion. I think your work isn’t just important…
Hi Christopher, I just sent you a response by email. Cheers.
Dear Phil, I’ve been hanging onto Christianity out of fear for decades now. Back in college, I started doing some…
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